Consequences Of Attacking Iran And Why Tehran Is Not Worried

[Armenian]

Re: Consequences Of Attacking Iran And Why Tehran Is Not Worried

Iran starts large-scale Air Force, air defense drills

Iran has launched a three-day series of Air Force and missile defense exercises throughout the country, the Air Force commander said on Monday.
"The drills are being conducted in more than a half of Iran's provinces. Their main goal is to rehearse tactical operations with modern weapons and generally to upgrade the operational effectiveness of the country's armed forces," Brigadier General Ahmad Mighani said. He said all air-defense units of Iran's Ground Forces would be involved, including during launches of advanced missiles and other precision guided weapons. Iran has conducted several high-profile war games this year, while promising a powerful retaliation in the event of any act of aggression against the country. The U.S. and Israel have consistently refused to rule out the possibility of military action against Iran over its refusal to halt its nuclear program. Iran recently took delivery of 29 Russian-made Tor-M1 air defense missile systems under a $700-million contract signed in late 2005. Russia has also trained Iranian Tor-M1 specialists, including radar operators and crew commanders. In July Iran successfully launched an upgraded Shahab-3 ballistic missile with a range of 2,000 km (1,240 miles), and several missiles with a range of 350 kilometers (217 miles) as part of the Great Prophet III military exercise in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, drawing a new wave of international criticism. Iran is currently under three sets of relatively mild UN Security Council sanctions for defying demands to halt uranium enrichment, which it says it needs purely for electricity generation despite Western accusations that the program is geared toward weapon production.

Source: http://en.rian.ru/world/20080915/116794839.html

[Armenian]

Re: Consequences Of Attacking Iran And Why Tehran Is Not Worried

Ahmadinejad: 'American empire' nearing its end

In a blistering speech before the United Nations General Assembly, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blamed "a few bullying powers" for creating the world's problems and said the "American empire in the world is reaching the end of its road."

And while he insisted Iran's nuclear activities are peaceful, Ahmadinejad blamed the same powers for seeking to hinder it "by exerting political and economic pressures on Iran, and threatening and pressuring" the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Those powers, meanwhile, are building or maintaining nuclear stockpiles themselves, unchecked by anyone, he said.

As Ahmadinejad spoke, the only person at the United States table was a note-taker; no U.S. diplomat was present. When President Bush spoke earlier Tuesday, however, Ahmadinejad was in the room.

"As long as the aggressors, because of their financial, political and propaganda powers, not only escape punishment, but even claim righteousness, and as long as wars are started and nations are enslaved in order to win votes in elections, not only will the problems of the global community remain unsolved, but they will be increasingly exacerbated," the Iranian leader said.

He accused the United States of oppressing Iraqis with six years of occupation, saying Americans were "still seeking to solidify their position in the political geography of the region and to dominate oil resources." VideoWatch Ahmadinejad say the "American empire" is nearing collapse »

Meanwhile, he said, Palestinians have undergone "60 years of carnage and invasion ... at the hands of some criminal and occupying Zionists."

He said Zionists in Israel "have forged a regime through collecting people from various parts of the world and bringing them to other people's land, by displacing, detaining and killing the true owners of that land."

The Security Council, he said, "cannot do anything, and sometimes under pressure from a few bullying powers, even paves the way for supporting these Zionist murders."

He stopped short of calling for Israel to be politically wiped off the map as he has in the past. He called for "a free referendum in Palestine for determining and establishing the type of state in the entire Palestinian lands."

Ahmadinejad pointed to what he said are signs of hope, saying an increasing number of nations are turning their backs on "the bullying powers" and seeking to establish new relations.

"Today the Zionist regime is on a definite slope to collapse," he said.

The Anti-Defamation League released a statement saying the Iranian leader showed he "is deeply infected with anti-Semitism" and displayed "the true threat the Iranian regime poses to Israel, the United States and the West."

Hours before Ahmadinejad's speech, Bush told the General Assembly that Iran was among the nations that "continue to sponsor terror."

"Yet their numbers are growing fewer, and they're growing more isolated from the world," Bush said.

Bush also said U.N. members needed to enforce sanctions against Iran for failing to suspend its nuclear program, which the United States and other Western nations believe is intended to develop nuclear weapons.

Before Ahmadinejad spoke to the U.N., he said in a recorded interview to air on CNN's "Larry King Live" Tuesday night that he is willing to meet with presidential candidates Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama -- even in front of the media -- to discuss world issues and debate.

But he said he has no preference between the two.

"We believe that these are issues relating to the domestic affairs of the United States," Ahmadinejad told Larry King of the presidential race, according to a transcript of the interview.

"And decisions pertaining to that must be made by the American people. And it's not important to us either," Ahmadinejad said. "What matters essentially is that the president that is chosen by the American people should adopt a path and a policy approach and for us to observe the policy approach.

"This is the campaign period, anyone can say anything. So we disregard that. What matters is that once someone is in office, we have to watch and see if that person will bring about some changes in policy or continue the same old path."

Ahmadinejad was in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly meeting, which began Tuesday.

"I have said that, in fact, on this very trip, currently in New York, that I am ready to speak with the presidential candidates before the press," he told Larry King. "I believe that we've really done whatever we could do in this respect." VideoWatch a preview of Ahmadinejad's remarks »

Asked whether he fears a U.S. attack, Ahmadinejad told King that attacking Iran would be the "worst thing the U.S. government can do ... I think that in the United States, there are enough reasonable people, smart people, who would not allow the U.S. government to make such a big mistake."

Withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, meanwhile, would be "the best scenario," Ahmadinejad said. "But I think that it needs a timetable ... the presence of the United States there has not reduced tension and it has not limited terrorism either. In fact, it has increased terrorism."

On hostility between the United States and Iran, Ahmadinejad told King: "The hostility has not been from our end. Up to this day, we have always been interested in having friendly relations."

Iran, he said later, "throughout history ... has demonstrated that it is a nation that is for peace and friendly with others."

And he insisted Iran's nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, despite Western nations' concern to the contrary.

"Their concerns about us are not new," he told King of the West. "They've always been concerned. They were the ones who inspired Saddam [Hussein] to attack Iran and get us involved in an eight-year war. The terrorist groups that killed our president, our prime minister, our officials, are now freely asked to live in the Western countries."

The nuclear issue, he said, has been politicized and is not a legal struggle at all, noting the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog group, has "not detected any noncompliance or deviation" on the part of Tehran.

Ahmadinejad spoke extensively of Iran's support for Palestinians. The Iranian leader previously has made statements suggesting that Israel be politically "wiped off the map," though he insists that can be accomplished without violence. He has questioned the existence of the Holocaust, the genocidal Nazi campaign against European xxxs, and warned Europeans that they may pay a heavy price for its support of Israel.

He insisted, however, that he and his country wish no harm to xxxs.

"We have no problems with xxxish people," he said. "There are many xxxs who live in Iran today ... but please pay attention to the fact that the Zionists are not xxxs. They have no religion ... they just have -- wear masks of religiosity. How can you possibly be religious and occupy the land of other people?"

On the Holocaust, he said an impartial group should research whether it happened as has been claimed.

"There is a claim that the extent of the calamity was what it was," Ahmadinejad said. "There are people who agree with it. There are people who disagree."

Ahmadinejad has also caused controversy by previously suggesting there were no homosexuals in Iran. Regarding that statement, he told King: "I said it is not the way it is here. In Iran this is considered a very -- obviously, most people dislike it. And we have, actually, a law regarding it and the law is enforced."

However, he said, "we do pay attention that in Iran nobody interferes in the private lives of individuals. We have nothing to do with the private realm of people. This is at the -- non-private, public morality. In their own house, nobody ever interferes."

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/me...tml#cnnSTCText

[crusader1492]

Re: Consequences Of Attacking Iran And Why Tehran Is Not Worried

I just listened to Ahmadinejad on CNN (Larry King interview). He sounded quite confident and endearing, I might add.
When you take away western biases, the man sounded righteous.

[Armanen]

Re: Consequences Of Attacking Iran And Why Tehran Is Not Worried

I just listened to Ahmadinejad on CNN (Larry King interview). He sounded quite confident and endearing, I might add.
When you take away western biases, the man sounded righteous.

He, Putin and Chavez are among the three best spoken and intelligent world leaders today. Publicly the so called west doesn't have anyone near their level, of course behind the scenes it's another story.

[Federate]

Re: Consequences Of Attacking Iran And Why Tehran Is Not Worried

Nice caricature from Hizballah

[Armenian]

Re: Consequences Of Attacking Iran And Why Tehran Is Not Worried

Iran to start gas exports to Armenia by Oct. 13

Iran will start gas exports to Armenia by October 13, the director of the gas export operation office of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) said here on Sunday. “Armenia also started electricity export to Iran on Sunday,” Rasoul Salmani added, IRINN reported. “Iran plans to annually export some 1.1 billion cubic meters of gas to Armenia. In the first phase Iran will export less volume to Armenia but will increase the export volume gradually, and in 2019 will raise it to 2.3 billion cubic meters” he explained. “In return Iran will annually import 3.3 billion kw/h of electricity from Armenia,” Rasuli stated. The 100km Iranian section runs from Tabriz to the Iran-Armenia border. The Armenian section runs from Meghri region to Sardarian. Iran is expected to supply all of Armenia’s gas needs within the next two years. The total outlay for the pipeline is about $28.2 million.

Source: http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=179295

[Lucin]

Re: Consequences Of Attacking Iran And Why Tehran Is Not Worried

Iran is expected to supply all of Armenia’s gas needs within the next two years. The total outlay for the pipeline is about $28.2 million.

This is very good news. I wonder if Armenia would still need the expensive Russian gas? And how would the Russians react?

[skhara]

Re: Consequences Of Attacking Iran And Why Tehran Is Not Worried

This is very good news. I wonder if Armenia would still need the expensive Russian gas? And how would the Russians react?

Gazprom has a stake in the gas pipeline. I am curious how Iranian prices would compare. One thing is for sure, it is great news from the standpoint that Armenia will now not be cut off because of Georgian instability.

[Armenian]

Re: Consequences Of Attacking Iran And Why Tehran Is Not Worried

I wonder if Armenia would still need the expensive Russian gas?

Lucin jan, do you know the price Iran will be charging for gas supplies to Armenia? And what makes you think Russian gas supplies to Armenia is expensive? Russian gas price for Armenia is still much lower than what Moscow charges on the international market.

And how would the Russians react?

Had they not been in favor the project would have never gone forward. And like Skhara said, Gazprom holds major stakes in the pipeline in question - for assurance, of course. According to some reports, Gazprom made sure that the pipeline was big enough to satisfy Armenia's gas needs, yet too small for it to provide Iran access into the gas market beyond Armenia. So, as long as Moscow controls the Iran-Armenia pipeline, it does not have problems with Yerevan purchasing gas from Iran.

[Lucin]

Re: Consequences Of Attacking Iran And Why Tehran Is Not Worried

I am curious how Iranian prices would compare...

Lucin jan, do you know the price Iran will be charging for gas supplies to Armenia? And what makes you think Russian gas supplies to Armenia is expensive? Russian gas price for Armenia is still much lower than what Moscow charges on the international market.

I had talked to Mahmoud a while ago:

GAS FROM IRAN TO BREAK GAZPROM'S MONOPOLY IN ARMENIA

By Vladimir Socor

Friday, January 20, 2006

Under agreement with Armenia's government, the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) is laying a pipeline from Tabriz in northwestern Iran to Armenia, at a cost of $220 million. With construction now running slightly ahead of schedule, the 160 kilometer line is expected to be commissioned in autumn 2006 and to operate at full capacity by mid-2007. The price of gas has been agreed at $85 per one thousand cubic meters at the Armenian border. The line is scheduled to supply Armenia with 1.1 billion cubic meters of gas annually in the first four years of operation, with the option to double that volume in the ensuing years.

By way of comparison, Russia supplied Armenia with 1.7 billion cubic meters of gas in 2005 at the old price of $54 to $56 per one thousand cubic meters, and now demands $110 per one thousand cubic meters as of April 1. Prior to the start of the Iran project, Moscow cajoled Yerevan into accepting a change in design, halving the line's diameter to 770 millimeters, so as to preclude export of Iranian gas via Armenia to Georgia.

**********

IRAN TO SUPPLY ARMENIA WITH GAS AND ARMENIA TO EXPORT ELECTRICITY TO IRAN

By Emil Danielyan

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The launch of the pipeline from Iran could thus hardly come at a better time for Armenia. Access to Iranian gas will not only give Yerevan a viable alternative to Russian deliveries but could strengthen its bargaining position in difficult tariff negotiations with Gazprom. The Russian monopoly plans gradually to raise its gas price for Armenia, which is currently set at $110 per thousand cubic meters, to international levels. Under an agreement signed by Gazprom and ARG executives in Moscow on September 17 and disclosed by the Armenian government a week later, the price will rise to $154 per thousand cubic meters in April 2009 and on to $200 in April 2010. Yerevan’s bargaining position will be limited, however, by the fact that Gazprom has a controlling share in ARG. Whether the Armenian gas company will be ready to cut back on supplies from its parent company if the Iranians offer it a better deal remains to be seen.

The Russians are charging 110$ per thousand cubic and soon 154$ while the Iranians still demand 85$... So it is almost half the price offered by Russia. Big difference...